Wind River Mountains Backpack August 17-23ish

[OneSpeed]

Hello,

I am determined to get to Wyoming's Wind River Mountains this summer, and I have selected the week of August 17-23 to make it happen. I am seeking interested fellow backpackers.

I added the "ish" to the subject header because, depending on who goes and what we decide, it might be more like August 16 to 25, something like that. It's about a two-day drive (or a flight) each way, so for a five-night backpack, you're looking at a 10-day trip.

The Wind Rivers are, by all accounts, one of the most amazing ranges around. Even the most jaded hikers I know get sort of glassy-eyed when they talk about the Winds. Soaring granite peaks, deep valleys, beautiful lakes offering legendary fishing, plenty of alpine and off-trail travel ... it sounds like heaven.

As for my attitude about backpacking, I like to keep the mileage moderate, because to me backpacking is all about three words: afternoons in camp. I like to have time to explore, swim, fish, sleep, read, whatever. My ideal trip goes something like this: hike in a couple days, maybe 6-8 miles each day, and set up a camp way back there in the hills. Spend a couple nights there -- dayhiking, climbing, whatever, but not moving camp -- then come out by a different route of a couple nights. On a trip like this, I'd be hiking from about 8 or 9 each morning to about 3 or 4 each afternoon.

I don't know the route I'm taking, and right now I don't care. I just don't want to go alone, if I can avoid it, so I am looking for anybody who might be interested. If you are, please respond here, PM me, or email me at [email protected].

Thanks!
Paul

Here are a couple of links to other folks' reports from the Winds. Put "wind river backpack" into Google and you'll see plenty more.

2007 Wind Rivers Backpack and 2004 Fourth of July Trip.

[chameleon]

Well, I am very jealous if you get in there this summer. I was a wilderness ranger there for the glacier trail to Gannett Peak several years ago, and deeply love the Winds. I've explored them fairly extensively, but there are still unknowns for me, especially in the rarely visited reaches of the reservation (where you need a reservation fishing license to even visit).

Anyway, the perfect trip for you given what you're desiring is a trip to Island Lake, with a dayhike into Titcomb basin. Then after you get back, I'd recommend driving around to Green River Lakes and spending a night in the campground there. Mt. Squaretop is not to be missed.

One of my funnest fishing events ever was one summer night from the shore of lower Green River lake. It was late on a moonlit night and I was sitting contemplatively on the shore of the lake, with Squaretop looming darkly in the distance. Not expecting to catch anything, I decided to throw a few casts in, more out of therapeutic reasons, than a desire or expectation for a fish. I believe I was using a classic red and white spoon. In total darkness, except for moonlight, it felt like something out of old man and the see when I felt the tug at the line. A large tug. After a several minute struggle, I pulled a several pound trout to shore, absolutely amazed. After admiring it glistening under quiet moonbeams, I released it back into the cold water. Good times.

Good luck planning your trip! Also, make sure to visit one of the great restaurants in Pinedale on your trip. Lots of character (and characters - well more of those on the Dubois side actually).
-Zach

[OneSpeed]

Thanks, Zach! I hear so many suggestions about so many great places, I hardly know where to start. But I'm familiar with Island Lake from other reports. How far in is that?

[Grannyhiker]

I assume you read my response to your last post with guidebook recommendations, etc., http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... ind+Rivers so I won't repeat here. I did another check on Amazon and there still aren't any new guidebooks in the last 13 years! If you don't yet have it, you'll want the Earthwalk Press map of the northern Wind Rivers. If you're concentrating on the Island Lake/Titcomb Basin area, unfortunately Titcomb Basin is the place where four USGS quadrangles meet! You might check for downloadable topo maps instead so you can get what you need into one map. While you don't really need topo maps if you stay on established trails, you definitely want them for the off-trail sections.

I will be there at somewhat the same time, August 11-20, but I'm doing a 10-day loop, in at Green River Lakes and out at Elkhart Park. We may cross paths somewhere around Island Lake or Titcomb Basin--watch for my hiking buddy Hysson (see avatar) and short stout granny looking something like a mushroom thanks to my greenish-gray Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat. After my problems with the altitude last year, I've planned two itineraries--one with 3-4 mile days and the other with 6-7 mile days. That's also why I'm starting at an 8,000 foot trailhead and not gaining more than 1,000 ft. per day between sleeping spots. I'll see how it goes.

It is 12 miles from the Elkhart Park trailhead above Pinedale to Island Lake via the Pole Creek and Seneca Lake trails. You could set up a base camp in the Island Lake vicinity (lots of tarns and small lakes in that area, so take your pick--Island Lake itself will be crowded) and dayhike to Titcomb Basin, Indian Basin, the class 3 scramble up Fremont Peak (weather permitting) and/or an easy off-trail route across the pass between Mt. Lester and Elephant Head to Wall Lake (golden trout). You could return via the Highline Trail over Lester Pass to the Pole Creek trail and take that back to Elkhart Park which is 16.3 miles from Island Lake. Another possibility is the route shown in the 2007 report you cited above, which also involves some off-trail routes.

Don't expect to make very good mileage the first few days. The Elkhart Park trailhead is 9,350 feet and you'll be over 10,000 feet the first night. For those of us acclimatized to sea level, this is seriously high altitude. I suggest your party read up on the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness so you can recognize them in yourself or others. Should this happen, go back down immediately! It might not hurt if each of you got a prescription for Diamox. Or, if you can take 2-3 days longer, and before going to the Winds visit Jackson Hole (there are always campsites available at Gros Ventre campground, about 15-20 minutes' drive from the trailheads) and spend a couple of days in the Tetons, hiking as high as you can each day but sleeping low at 7,000 ft. Try Death Canyon and the Teton Glacier Trail.

Plan B in case of forest fire or other disaster could be in the southern Winds or (if you have altitude or extreme weather problems) Green River Lakes.

I was warned to make motel reservations in Pinedale well in advance. There's lots of natural gas drilling going on in the upper Green River Basin, resulting in a shortage of motel space. I didn't stay there last summer (stayed in Lander on the way in, Jackson on the way out) so I can't recommend anything. In August, I'd make reservations everywhere.

Chameleon, how about those Pinedale restaurants? I read that the brewpub closed last winter, darn it... I'll be looking for someplace with an outdoor eating area where I can take my dog. EDIT: After 10 days of dehydrated food, I'll be looking for large salads and rare steak!

The northern half of the Winds (where I'm going) are supposedly grizzly bear territory, although after a lot of research it appears that none have been sighted where I'm going. You either have to use a bear canister or hang your food. Since I haven't room for two canisters (one for me and one for the dog's food) and can't hang my food (can't throw worth beans and throwing exacerbates my arthritis), I'll be taking two Ursacks and "stealth" camping in hopes of avoiding the rangers.

Per the Ray Adkison guidebook, there are a number of excellent trails going in the east side of the Winds but due to the topography they take longer to get to the high country (wider foothills on the east side). The Indian Reservation is also a problem, requiring an $80/person "fishing" permit. This permit is now required to access the Dickinson Park trailhead (Bears Ears Trail) even though the trailhead and trail are not on the Reservation (part of the road goes through the Reservation). I found this info on Summit Post http://www.summitpost.org/area/range/17 ... range.html. If you decide to hike the east side, you go in from either Dubois (north end) or Lander (south end). The Holiday Lodge in Lander is a nice moderately-priced motel that is used to catering to hikers. Should you need a last minute piece of gear, map or fishing license, the Wild Iris Mountain Shop on the main drag in downtown Lander is a great place to visit. That won't help you if you're hiking the west side from Pinedale, though.

EDIT: Pinedale has The Great Outdoor Shop. They also run a shuttle service, which I plan to make use of.

[OneSpeed]

Granny, I'm amazed again! What a post. Thanks so much for telling me so much.

Sounds like you're going by yourself, then? I've never gone that long solo, but I also don't want to let a lack of partners keep me from going.

[baker9903]

I saw Doug Lorain speak a long time ago and I think he mentioned that he was working on a guide book for the wind river range. He showed some slides about trips there. I don't know if fellow authors hobnob with each other, but if you know him in any capacity, you should contact him for beta.

[OneSpeed]

I saw Doug Lorain speak a long time ago and I think he mentioned that he was working on a guide book for the wind river range. He showed some slides about trips there. I don't know if fellow authors hobnob with each other, but if you know him in any capacity, you should contact him for beta.

I saw his talk, too. It's a backpacking Wyoming guide, and he had great photos. Book comes out in 2010, I think.

[Grannyhiker]

Thanks for the info, baker9903! Doug Lorain writes really good backpacking guidebooks! Paul, you write excellent books, too! Maybe you should contact Doug and suggest a collaboration--that way you could spend a whole summer or two in the Winds instead of a week! The Winds desperately need a new guidebook which would hopefully combine the established trails with the "unofficial" but well-used routes such as Shannon Pass, Cube Rock Pass and Knapsack Col in the northern end and the Hay Pass trail (abandoned but still mostly there) to Golden and Alpine Lakes east of the divide. These routes are passable to non-climbers like me and deserve more publicity than the brief descriptions in the Joe Kelsey book (which is mostly about climbing the peaks).

An acquaintance on another backpacking board, a former NOLS instructor, has written a guidebook to off-trail routes in the Wind Rivers, but has had no luck finding a publisher. She assumes, though, that the reader has some skills in climbing and glacier travel, which leaves me (and my dog) behind. She did give me details on the pass between Island Lake and Wall Lake, though, which is an easy off-trail trip. If you're interested in these off-trail routes, let me know and I'll PM her with your contact info. She will be spending this summer hiking the Reservation (turns out the non-resident annual permit is now $125, a good reason to avoid the place).

Yes, I'm doing a solo trip--I prefer it that way. I don't have to adjust my pace to someone else's, or, more likely, worry about slowing other people down. (Only slugs hike slower than I do, and there aren't any slugs in the Winds to make me look speedy by comparison.) I do take a PLB in case of disaster, which keeps my family happier. However, I do my best not to take chances--an injury at my age would probably spell a permanent end to my hiking career.

EDIT: I certainly hope that a few of the folks here will be inspired to go along with Paul. Any trip to the Wind Rivers will be an epic trip that you'll remember for a lifetime! And splitting gas expenses (although it looks as though gas will be close to $2/gallon less than last year) will definitely cut the cost.

[nyxlily]

This sounds very very intriguing, and FUN! I'm all for it, provided it doesn't go farther than the 23rd. Actually, if possible, a few days before the 23rd would be awesome.

Please keep me updated on your plans! I'm still new to backpacking. I've done several overnight trips and packed for a 2-night trip which unavoidably turned into yet another overnighter. I plan on doing more hikes over the summer (perhaps some trial run backpacking trips) to help me get in better shape for a longer trip. Which I had planned on anyway, but now I have a tangible goal!

Anyway, this really do seem awesome.

[OneSpeed]

Please keep me updated on your plans! I'm still new to backpacking.

You got it, "Lily"! (I call you that because I don't know how to spell your real name.) I guarantee it won't go past the 23rd.

Let's figure out a time to hike together or hang out some time and kick around some ideas. I seem to recall you have some availability during the week?